The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1887-02-18
MANkAro FREE Pass
pRIpAY. PEnRuARY Del. lea7
OUFPNE WILL NOT FIGHT.
THE Rlaek Rear Mash Lsss Dangerous
Than some spartsmaa Claim.


CUFFisis WILL NOT FIGHT.
rhs nlsek Hear Maeh Less Dangerous
Than som. spartsmea Claim.
In an experience covering many years
OF stili.lunting in country where 'sthe
woods are full Of 'eni." ! hsye never
seen but two bears that were not either
on dead run to get away, or were be-
ing bayed or treed By dogs. says an
Arkansas correspondent Of the AnseTi
cda fteId, One uf these was Tapping"
in the early spring-l e, up tree,
gathering and eating the buds and
tender shoots The other was turning
over and tearing TO pieces an old log TO
get the worms TO be found in the rotten
wood. for. be 1t known. even ''ursa
major does not disdain to breakfast
on grubs and angle-worms when fat
shotes and wild honey get scarce. In
fact, he will eat almost anyfhing, ami
NAL or vegetable, fresh or putrid, that .
hog will eat But the hog, If male
and half wild. is by far the more dan
gerous beast Of the two; for the, hog. II
irritated by dogs. will boldly attack
man or beast and fight desperately to
the death, but Mr.. Bear on such occs-
sionn devotes all his energies to the
effort to get away. and shows fight only
Whsn hemmed and absolutely driven to
the wall. This IL my own experience,
and 1t il also that of every other old
bear hunter with whom l have ever
talked. have yet 10 hear of an au-
thennca.ed instance in this country
(Arkansas) of bear voluntarily at
lacking man. Their senses Of hear
ing and smelling are SO acute aud their
instructive fear of man so great that the
hunter rarely ever gets even sight Of
one In the woods except when bayed,
freed. or engaged in y running tight
with dogs, Unless the bear is very fat
1t takes a first-ciAss pack Of weli-trained
dogs to stop him and keep him in one
place long enough for the hunter to get
up within shooting distance. On the
other hand. if he is very fat he is apt TO
be too short-winded to run far, and al.
most any common cur or fce that has
speed enough to keep up and grit
enough 10 nip him On the hams occa-
sionally can soon put him up tree.
'tCuffee," az he is Familiarity known
here, is also very fond of green corn,
aud in the latter part Of July, when
roasting-ears are in season, he takes his
toll from the adjacent corn-felds with
out stint He usually tears down and
destroys a great deal more than he Oan
eat, and for this reason the farmers fire.
duently lie in wait for him. He always
comes at night aud mas q particular
place to enter and another at which to
leave the field. These are easily ascer-
tanned by his tracks, aud the plan then
is to 60 about p, m. on a night when
there is little or no wind stirring, sic
down In the corn near the usual place
Of entrance, and wait until he comes in
and gets close enough to see him plaia:
ly; then shoot 1t is rarely worth while
to wait longer than II o'clock. for il
cuffee Is not there by midnight it is
pretty certain that he has gone to some
other field. In fact this is the prin-
cipal difficulty about killing bears in
this way, for bruin is quite cunning and
rarely visits the same tield twice in sue:
passioD, SO that Enless the opFn.helds
are few and the bears in the neighbor.
hood very numerous the lonely watcher
may have to wait number of nights
for shot. say lonely watcher. be-
cause it is almost absolutely necessary
to be alone. Ii the wait happens TO be
q long one Two persons cannot keep
from taking, and a bear carries his
| ears about To heap with aud not for
ornament. Besides, the proba OF
being wudod--always tho weak poiut
! in this style of hunting is doubled and
the chances for shot diminished cor
respOndingiy. So little is cuilee feared
BIZ those who are familiar with him that
| nave known boys of Is years, armed
with no better weapon than a small
bore. manufacturing squirrel rifle, to
sit in the dark for hours, alone and
halt u mile or more trpm the house,
waiting tor shot, ana than, when the
chance came, To sit still as death until
the bear got within eight or len feet
before iir,ug. When the shot is tired
the bear. unless instantly killed. rare
oocurrepce-makes a break for the
fence, and not stopping to climb over
It, goes through 1t Ike stampeded
bull. scattering rails right and left and
runs until he falls exhausted. Next
morning the shooter takes his dogs to
the spot. puts them on the track, and
| is soon ia possession Of dead bear
or engaged in a lively fight with a
| wounded one,